Personality, Entertainment, Fun (that doesn't sound like most marketing communications, does it?)

Formulas

Templates

Frameworks

Done for you communications

Fill in the blanks

That kind of short cutting, the hack-the-communication and marketing system process, is gathering mucho online pace and momentum.

But why is that the case?

Because there are way too few creative marketing minds having the originality and brains to make their business, or that of their clients, be filled with personality and authentic ideas... to come up with interesting, fun and entertaining ways to present, promote and offer what's being offered.   

And that's super important. 

Because in today's business environment, if you plan to be like everyone else... to speak and communicate like they do... to use the same ideas and thinking they do... to give the same reasons and rationales they do for their products and services...    

Then no surprises here...your ideas and your copy won't stand out and get attention. It'll blend in and look like everyone else’s on the block. 

That'll of course mean you're not going to create any kind of unique difference and positioning in the marketplace. 

And yet, that's exactly what you have to strive for if you want that unique positioning.   

It comes as no surprise that we live in an attention deficit world where there's an obvious impatience in that most people want things, and they want them, now. 

They're easily bored. Easily distracted. Happy to flip onto something else in a heartbeat.

And that's why you need work diligently and differently, in order to not only capture attention, but to keep it and to continually keep it in an ongoing way.

Now that can't happen by guesswork, or by wishing and praying.

It takes a deliberate shift of thinking and a deliberate shift of perspective.

The problem with that?   

Many marketing 'Pros' and Owners suffering with 24/7 lazy-brain-itis.

The result of that?  

It's far more convenient and far too easy to reach for a canned, ready made, off-the-shelf solution when it comes to thinking, creating ideas, coming up with different unique angles to sell and promote. 

And when they do that...

They're not really realising that by employing that lazy recliner way of doing things, they instantly destroy using their / the businesses'... own personality in their communications. 

That's what happens when abdicating out to the wooden, off-the-shelf, solution -- you suffocate the core asset of the business -- its character, its essence, its personality.  

And if that wasn't enough... 

By sticking with being a commodity based communication business, the business destroys the whole communications and selling process from being fun and entertaining -- both for the Owner / Marketing Pro, and, more importantly... for the customer or recipient of the communications, promotions and presentations.

And look...

In today's marketing and communications world, we're all being starved from having communications being fun and entertaining.

Let's change that.

Want a clear cut example of how to bring the entertainment and fun factor into your communications? Then let me show you how I brought a yawnful presentation letter, back to life. (In fact, look at the whole communication piece here and ask yourself this core question - were you entertained, or not, would you buy the products, or not!?)  

(Important: it does not matter what business category you are in, or what you sell and promote - you can take the ideas you find in the communication piece above and see how you can apply them to your communications and promotions because I guarantee you that there IS a way to make your communications fun, interesting, entertaining.)    

  FREE BOOK shows you how to write entertaining emails that get opened, read and bought from.

       

The money-making marketing wheel gets another spin (pointer 8)

Before we get to spin the money marketing wheel once again...

There's something I've got to shout about.

It's this:

There are certain principles and fundamentals to everything that almost ALL bypass and ignore.

You'll find the flagrant ignoring and detesting of the fundamentals in anything and everything... is something akin to a mass mantra of kinds. 

A collective messing of the Pink Floyd chant.

"We don't need no... f-u-n-d-a-m-e-n-t-a-l-s" 

Want to be, and stay fit and healthy?

Exercise. Eat good food. Take your nutrition and vitamins. Live happily and healthily. Daily

The Fundamentals.

Want to be a good human?

Do good things. Say please and thank you. Be Kind. Help others. Excel in what you do. Tell the truth.

The Fundamentals.

And in the world of marketing, there's more deletion, destruction and non-profitable businesses around... all because of disregarding, discarding and dismissing the fundamentals. 

So what are some of the marketing fundamentals?

Have irresistible offers. Continually Put them in front of people most likely to buy. Have entertaining copy and communications. Have a series of back end products and services. Create astonishing after care and follow up. Stay committed to being unique and different to any other business out there doing something similar to what you do.

Those are core.

Yet like I say...

Most toss the fundamentals out into the cold. 

And instead, want to dive into the unchartered and insane, all in the name of being different and pioneering. 

Shiny object syndrome does that.

It messes with the brain. It creates chaos and confusion.

End of Sermon.

Let's spin that wheel.

And, as we do that, we see that the marketing wheel's pointer pointer, points at....

SLACK ADJUSTER.

Um... whassattt!?

That, my dear uninitiated, is what's also referred to as a beefy whopping product or service that'll top the profit numbers barometer and will bring in and boost the cashflow numbers... significantly. 

Now I've heard Dan Kennedy speak about the Slack Adjuster, and it's something that EVERY business ought to have because the thing is, most of your customers won't buy it, but... all it takes is one or two buyers a month and you'll see the money numbers will ramp up significantly for you.

Examples:

A coffee shop can sell a mammoth sized, all bells and whistles coffee machine for hundreds, or thousands of pounds. Like I say, most customers won't buy it. They'll come in, buy their coffee and croissant, maybe a sandwich, a pastry, they'll do their normal shop. Yet, day in day out they'll see this new gleaming coffee machine for sale. Some WILL get tempted to buy. And you don't need to manufacture your own - you can create a deal/arrangement with the tons of coffee machine manufacturers who would no doubt love to sell a few extra machines a month, and where you receive a 50% commission for your displaying of the machine in your shop, and selling and promoting it.                         

An online or offline place selling cooking items, pots and pans, blenders, etc. They could team up with a cooking class provider in some far off place like Bali, or Barcelona, or Brazil, or Bermuda, or Brisbane, and create a luxury experience out of it for the customer, whilst attaching a nice value price tag to it. Again, all it takes are a few people to raise their hands and the cash flow and profits that come in, can in some instances, trump sales of the normal monthly takings from the normal sales of the regular products!

One more... (actually, I've squeezed in two for you!)

A bookseller or sports equipment seller can sell 'an audience with an author', or a 'week long training bootcamp' with the stores' physical trainers. (And if they don't have any trainers and only sell the equipment, then hire a trainer and split the money!)

Doesn't matter what service or product you sell or promote. 

You can adopt, adapt and apply the examples you see above and customise it to your products and services to create your own beefy slack adjuster version.

You ARE looking to increase the average order amounts every month in your business without having to triple down on your selling to make it happen, aren't you?

Well, then don't skip the fundamental examples and instructions above that'll help you boost your cashflow.

Look out again for the next post because the Marketing wheel is going to be spun again soon. 

  Want the Can't-Throw-Away Fundamentals That'll Get Your Emails Read and Bought From, Nearly Every Single Time? FREE BOOK shows you how. 

      

       raja. hireker @ gmail . com 

         

Join Mr X for drinks on his Superyacht?

An interesting email headline just flopped into my email inbox.

And, probably for the right person, a somewhat intriguing invitation on the face of it. 

Who would that RIGHT person be?

• Most likely someone infatuated with the super yatch person in question -- (Mr X represents a real person) 
• Most likely someone who is infatuated with high value material possessions. 
• Most likely someone who WANTs that type of lifestyle.
• Most likely someone who wants to run with the big dogs, to be linked and associated with them.
• Most likely someone who likes people with big show-off egos.
• Most likely someone who automatically drools and salivates at glossy luxury pictures of the inside of a luxury super yatch. 
  
  

However...

The lead in invitation email does a rather poor and pathetic job of framing the invitation as something other that's private, elite and invaluable. 

All they've lazily done is to think and believe that those on the communication list receiving the communication, will be all googoo and gaagaa about the whole thing, who'll be mesmerised and boggled eyed over the yatch picture interiors and as such, will wrestle and hair pull in order to snap up the invitation for drinks with Mr X.

Let me add something however... 

That the conditional pre-requisite for even being in a position to accept the invitation, is to buy and enrol in one of the courses and training programmes Mr Super Yatch owner promotes and sells.

Nothing wrong in that.

However...

Simply believing that joining Mr X on his super yatch for drinks is a compelling enough reason to want to go, demonstrates you could have the highest value products and services in the world.

And yet...

Without having the proper thought out communications and copywriting, the whole thing can fall flat on its face.     

The BIG Key: (no matter what you sell and promote) 

You want to give people enough compelling reasons as to WHY it is they should buy what you're selling, take you up on the proposition, invest in what you're presenting, request the information you're offering. 

Without doing that, you're asking people to decide on something simply based on thin air.

Join Mr X for drinks

Why?

• Because he'll share some insights and info you won't get in any of his courses. 
• Info and insights that'll make you a lot more money in the next X days than anything he's shared before.  
• You'll get to meet a few of his secret aides who've inspired and helped him become a multi-millionaire, and they'll give you their most prized information that'll help accelerate your thinking and future business activities. 
• You'll get to ask Mr X any questions you want about how he's doing what he's doing, and how you can do the same.

Let's think about the difference here:

Are those reasons why above, more interesting and more compelling than the reason they've given in the PS in their promotional email for the drinks invite - 

PS. You can find more pictures of the boat here:

They've, of course, (ahem!) missed the boat here.

Don't let that be what you do with your communications when selling and promoting your products and services.

Give them REASONS WHY.

Want to create the kind of emails and communications that compel, inspire and sell?
Then sign up and find out how to do that, here.  

Help, I'm all muffled... I don't have anything to write about!

What's the big business curse infecting many a business owner's mind?

"I can't think of anything new to write about" 

And that's a curse that's spread right across the whole communication smorgasbord.

• The emails
• The ads
• The sales letters
• The campaigns
• The social media posts
• The special reports
• The blog posts

And when you internalise the fact that your communications really are the heart and soul, the lifeblood and profit centres of most business, the whole thing warrants close scrutiny.

Because guess what?

A bored and switched off customer or prospect, will go elsewhere in search of the good time feeling, in search of a better happier experience, in search of the difference making that makes all the difference.

And that means, a whole lot of customers will soon bail if prodded with enough boringness, and as such... will take with them their referral and residual value profit centres -- and yes... they'll align it to some other business!  

So how can you inject the kind of newness, freshness, the joyful entertainment that enhances the readability factor inside your communications ...the very communications that'll have your customers and audience lapping up all you have to say and share? (And therefore, buy more from you, more frequently!)

Well, you do it by accessing your already existing content factory plant.

What?!!

That's right.

You need not go anywhere outside your sweet circumference in order to have you access the kind of material and content that'll bring the hordes to you.

That's because your content factory machine is already inside you. 

More specifically...

It's all logged and lodged inside the recesses of your incredibly ample and squishily  intelligent brain.

Now the key to getting to all that delicious content nourishment, is to jumpstart and trigger your brain into being that search and collect mechanism for you.

And how do you do that?

By prodding and poking it with a series of laser focussed questions.

Questions that'll help you uncover priceless, and an almost unlimited supply of money- making goody bars.

So what are some questions we can begin with that'll get the prodding into motion? 

(And do remember, the answers to the questions can be used as material and content in multiple media formats).

Who has been your most obnoxious customer, and why?

What specific thing goes on in your industry they want no-one to know about?

What's the most absurd 'rule' in your industry that you want to see banished and crushed?

What do customers in your industry generally hate that the majority of businesses do a lot of?

What's been your most successful product?

What's one of the most priceless things about your business that you've taken for granted, yet have been hiding all these years? 

What did you have to overcome to get your business to where it is today? 

What's an admission that you want to make and clear the air with?

Who are your business and non-business inspirations?

--------

As you're most likely beginning to see, there's an endless amount of material locked up inside your brain, which, if released and poured into your communications, will bring that missing newness, freshness, authentic spirit and energy into your business. 

And yes...

Your readers and customers will LOVE this difference making that you're choosing to make. 

And don't let it stop here!

Keep going back to that content factory plant and pull out all those goody bars by asking all manner of the sane, mixed in with the wild, weird, unconventional and unorthodox questions that'll produce the kind of entertaining answers that'll be the profit making gold for you. 

So let's ask that question again?

Don't have anything to write about?

On the contrary. 

Do the above and you'll have a happy filled mountain of the stuff that you can sort, sift and apply to your heart's desire. 

    

Want MORE proper email education that'll help you entertain more and help you sell more of your products and services? 

Here's where to go!

    

          

   

The swiss army knife technique for being a creative marketing genius

 Here's a picture of a Swiss army knife.

What won't be familiar however, is the writing on the right hand page. 

Now if you want to eavesdrop on what's written there, you can get yourself a magnifying glass or enlarge the screen size so you'll not miss a thing. 

The core idea on that page?

About not having your business be a samey samey derivative, an undistinguishable commodity, a mee too, mee too... in a world filled with mee too derivatives. 

And instead, to thrive for being the difference, the unusual, the unorthodox, the unfancied, the not normal. 

Enter, Swiss army knife unorthodoxy.

How so?

Well, first, let's just take a look at what kind of tools are available at your disposal, all packed into one handy little palm filler.

And when you open this little pocket miracle up, you'll find the following:

a knife

a smaller knife

a screw driver

a file

a scissor

a cork screw 

a saw

a magnifying glass

a bottle opener

It's quite nifty a little problem solver, isn't it!

So how can one use that to create irresistible, topical, inventive, creative, energising and enthusiastic copy and communications for your products and services?  

The way you do that is use the Swiss Army knife as a metaphorical tool. 

And the way you use it is to ask questions about your product or service:

The clearest question you could probably ask is --

How many different ways or angles could I use to speak about my product or service?

Or to if you want to zero in and focus the mind even more on that, ask this question -- what are the dozen different ways I can speak about my product or service, using the Swiss Army Knife tool as a working metaphor?

Now we're cooking.

Because instead of having the mind spin off on various loopy tangents whilst it's trying to find some new fresh angle to sell your products or services...

You'll now have a framework to guide you.

But how exactly would that Swiss Army knife work as a framework to help you come up with fresh ideas or angles?          

Just as the Sak has multiple tools emanating from its centre, your centre (product or service) is also wrapped in multiple tools.

Here are some of yours:

Who

What 

When 

Where 

Why

How

Which

Now you might be thinking those aren't very unique or entertaining. 

But of course, the value and power comes from how and n what context you ask the questions.    

Let's test this out so you can practically see how everything we've talked about so far, all ties up together. 

Let's pick a product or service.

Let's go with a physical product.

You can then use the same framework I'll outline below to help assist you selling whatever it is you sell and promote. 

I'm sitting at my dining table and looking at the various items that are 2 metres away from me. 

I'll list a few of them:

iphone

headphones

trolley

fudge cylinder box

pen

coffee mug

piano

dog basket

chair

photo frame

Okay, so here's the not so scientific test to see what product out of the above gets chosen. 

I'm going to get all the items on a page in front of me. I'm going to close my eyes and I'm going to prod the laptop screen (gently, of course!) and then see what product name my finger lands on.

Here we go.

And the prodding finger lands on --

Fudge Cylinder Box!   

(Okay, so a little side note to the ultimate selection. I closed eyes, prodded screen, and opened eyes.. five times in succession. Why would I do that? Because I wanted to ensure that I land on the nominated product, twice, and not just once. Why? Because I wanted to make sure that all items had a shot, and not be eliminated at the first time of prodding.)    

 

So now we have this luxury fudge in a cylindrical box to apply our Swiss Army knife technique to.

But before that, what typically are the ideas and angles to sell something like this? 

Delicious creamy/luxurious taste? Yep

Uniquely packed and packaged? Yep

Customers love us? Yep

Anything else?

I don't think so. at least, nothing unusual, novel or different comes to mind. 

Okay so let's pull out our toolbox of Swiss Army Knife, goodies and see what we can create here:   

As a reminder, here's that list again:

Who

What 

When 

Where 

Why

How

Which

So let's take the first tool: 

Who? 

So what kind of questions (angles and ideas) can we create around the 'who', as it relates to this cylindrical box of luxury, clotted cream fudge?       

Who are the kinds of people who buy this product? An idea could be a to list them out. Maybe even create a series of mini promos or ads around one kind of person, and then the next kind, and so on.

Who are the people making this product? What life tidbit could be shared with potential readers of the ads, promos, etc. 

Who buys as a recurring purchase each month? What kind of joy and adventure is happening at these people's homes, and how does the fudge fit in by way of who eats the most, etc. 

Who are the fudgelings in the box? Why not create a series of communications coming from the fudge pieces themselves. Fudgelings. Remember where you heard that first!     

Now you can keep going with the who, and you'll probably come up with a few more novel and creative idea angles for your ads, emails, promotions, sales events.   

Then...

Once you've finished that, you can move on to the next 'tool' on the list. The What. 

Keep on doing that for the rest of the list and lo and behold, at the end of the exercise you'll have 50, 60, 70 to a 100 selling ideas and angles that you wouldn't have thought about before. 

Do you think by employing those ideas and angles to YOUR promotions and communications, for YOUR products and services, that you'll be seen as a mee too derivative commodity in your marketplace?   

Not on your life will you and your products be seen as a mee too commodity.

And in fact, why not we take this angle and creative idea generation a little further, so you can see you'll definitely NOT be bracketed in the same category as any else selling or promoting the same or similar products or services like you do.     

Do you remember the Swiss Army Knife tools I listed out for you on that actual Swiss Army Knife? (zoom up to the top of this post to see the pic or refer to the list that I'm er, listing out for you below): 

a knife

a smaller knife

a screw driver

a file

a scissor

a cork screw 

a saw

a magnifying glass

a bottle opener

Okay, so now you've got the list in front of you, how about we actually use the same list above to carve out even more ideas and angles to sell that cylindrical tube of luxurious clotted cream fudge. (And of course, apply this all to what it is you sell and promote) 

So the first one the list was... 

a knife. 

Ideas and angles. 

Our fudge is cut and carved out by the finest knives available. 

Our fudge is definitely a cut above the rest. 

We're carving out a box of luxury delivered right to your doorstep, and we can't wait to send it to you.

See how that all works?

Let's try out the 3rd tool on the Swiss Army knife (the 2nd tool on the list was a small knife so we'll just bypass that and move on to the next one on the list)

A screwdriver   

Ideas and angles.

It takes 45 wood screws and a proper good screwdriver to box up our weighty box of pre-packaged fudge that'll last you upto 3 to 4 months of luxurious indulgence

You're going to need a tamper proof box, a screwdriver and a handful of screws to hide the luxury mini hamper of clotted cream fudge away from everyone else who'll be drooling for one or more of YOUR luxury fudge's!

a file / rasp (A rasp is a coarse form of file used for coarsely shaping wood or other material.)     

Ideas and angles. 

Luxury Fudge - No File included. If you'd like to 'powder down' your luxury fudge into the finest luxury particles that you can, then ask us about our special LFF (luxury fudge file) and we'll have one sent over to you with our compliments.

--------------------

The idea here is to let your creative mind flow and express itself, without you editing or censoring anything that raises itself as an idea in your mind.

As you can probably see, by carrying our this Swiss Army Knife exercise for your products and services, you'll stand proud and alone.

You'll have ZERO competition for what it is you sell because your uniqueness and your originality in your ideas and your communications and campaigns, will be too clear and obvious for all to see that you are no derivative and no commodity. 

Swiss Army Knife.

Use it.

It'll come to your rescue over and over again, both in your marketing and business... and... in your personal relationships.          

  

  -------------------------

Want personal help with creating fresh unique ideas, campaigns and promotions to help sell your products or services? Start here by getting on my private email list   

         

Marketing wheel spin time (Pointer 7)

The amount of poor unguided thinking and poor unguided marketing strategy going on everyday in all kinds of businesses and ventures...

...is both shockingly astounding in its diabolicalness, as it is a miracle opportunity.

And a miracle opportunity because...

... whilst most Owners and Marketing people splutter and overcomplicate what they're doing, (by buying into any bright shiny Tom Dick and Harry idea, system, tool, resource...)  you've a brilliant moment in time to step up your marketing systems and processes for your business.

How?

By not doing what all others seem to be doing! 

Interestingly, when the mirror is shown, most aren't open to truthfully declaring what they're up to, about how and why they've done what they've done, chosen what they've chosen. 

Anyway, that's them, and that's their rightful choice to make. 

Our choice right now is to spin that money-making marketing wheel and see where it lands for you.     

And, the pointer says...

AFFLUENT!

Ah. 

The collective cry goes up... 

...we're not in the affluent marketplace...

...we're not competing in that space...

... our products aren't for them...

And you might very well be right, especially if your strategy is to be the lowest cost provider of what it is you do and sell.

But, for most... and it doesn't matter what you sell and promote...

There is a section of the affluent market who'd be keen to know about your products or services - but only if you target them in your communications!

As simple as it sounds, it's pretty hard to sell to the affluent if you've not created a plan to do so.

And how do you create a match for your products and services to that market?

You customise and tailor your offerings to reflect that higher value, higher premium offering.

If you could sell a certain percentage of your products and services to the affluent marketplace, think about what that means when it comes to your bottom line sales and profit numbers?   

One thing that'll happen is you'll reach your money goal numbers, sooner and quicker than not. 

Another thing is you won't have to sell to more and more people to make your numbers.

You can do it with selling to fewer people because of the higher prices and the higher value prices you'll attach to those products and services.

The problem for selling to the affluent is almost NEVER in the marketplace. 

The problem is almost always inside the mind and head of the owner. 

So start today if you want to increase your revenue numbers, or to hit your money numbers, sooner.

Create a Marketing to the Affluent strategy and create the kind of campaigns that'll have them be newly created (and an ongoing) profit centre for you.

Keep tuning in.  

There'll be another spinning of the marketing wheel, coming soon.   

 

The marketing wheel gets another spin (pointer 6)

The marketing wheel is up for spinning. 

Let's SPIN!

And it's landed on...

Okay, so before I give you the actual wording that describes the strategy, the pointy pointer on the wheel has landed on, let me give you a specific way I'd like to introduce it.  

"Creeping separateness"

That's the phrase, or the two word sentence, that perfectly describes many relationships, both personal and in business. 

And that creeping separateness occurs mainly because there's only a little amount of talking or communication going on. And that's spread over a long period of time.

• There's only small doses of happy, encouraging, uplifting conversations going on.
• There's little amounts of fresh, new, invitingly open subject matters being talked about.
• There's very little truth telling going on.
• And there's definitely a whole lot of 'I don't know what to say' going on.

And so there's a strategy that'll fix plenty for you.

If you haven't clocked on already, the strategy is called...

Continuous Conversations. 

Now the way to have this demonstrated in a clear and constructive way, is for you to think about your closest friends.

Let me ask you this about them; do you only speak and communicate to them on the off chance, or in an out the the blue moment when something smacks the side of your head to do so?  

Or, are you more likely to connect and speak on a more frequent basis. And I mean, like nearly almost everyday, or even multiple times a day! Or if not that, at least once a week? 

And yet, for your business, your interactions with your customers and subscribers (for the majority of businesses) are most likely left to chance, or to when the feeling is right, or to when you have to sell something.

That's not right, is it?

Communications aren't only reserved and made when you want money.

Yet most owners act and behave exactly like that to the people who are actually the key assets in any business. 

The customers! 

Now we all love to be sold, that's because we love to buy and own things. 

Material things. 

Fancy things.

Non fancy things.

Other things we probably don't even need, or will use to any great degree or length.   

You name it, we probably want it.

And yet, we still want to be pleasurably sold to and have a good experience about it all. 

What we don't want is we don't want to be beaten mercilessly in the head via every single communication that leads with -- sales, sales sales. 

And like hearing it or not, but that's the mad mantra of the deluded Owner who's probably got some interest in creating a flourishing business based on deep connected relationships with their customers, but... act and behave in the most absurd and opposite ways to that. 

So let's make this pragmatic and practical so you can see that there's no particular magic or mystery to any of this:

What can you communicate to your customers and subscribers, about?

How about...

• The latest news happening in your business
• The latest thoughts and ideas going on in the minds of the business and owners
• Stories in the news that you can link and transition back into your business.
• How a customer got a fabulous result with your product or service
• Announcement of a free gift
• Search out what they are, then communicate about the different 'days of the year', around the world. For example 'be kind day, meat free day, grandparents day', take a child to work day, bike riding day, etc. Why not create your own 'day' of the year for your own business!
• Talk about the various sporting events of the month, and pick a theme that you think will be of interest to your audience.
• The new competition you're running.

Frankly, and the good news about it is, the list of things to talk and communicate about is... literally endless. It's EXACTLY THAT.

And something else...

Whether you realise it or not, whether you believe it or not, all businesses are in the relationship building and entertainment business. 

A diabolical assumption?

Not at all. 

Because think about the businesses you buy from. 

I'm primarily talking about the one's you like the best, or where you have glorious good things to say about them. Those are the one's that most likely have a good relationship with you, and that they do things in a way most others, don't.

And what I should also say that there are probably very few businesses that make it on that very short list of yours because frankly, majority of businesses are plain vanilla mediocre and lack personality, both in person and in print. 

Now what all this means for you is if you want long term value and stability, a business that's embedded with certainty based equity... then... what you must do is to map out a continuous communication programme for your business.

Plan for a week. Then the month. Then, when you're in the groove, plan out your year's communication plan.

Because no matter what's going on with the economy, with your marketplace, with the regulations and red tape, the evidence and facts are that if you've a strong relationship with your customers and subscribers, they'll see to it that you'll never be suffering from a money and cashflow point of view... all because you've shown a continuous and sincere interest in them.

Now that's what continuous communications will do, for both you and your customers!

Okay. The deadline's up. 

Tune in again for your next marketing money wheel goodness. 

Don't ever be lost😵in the marketing and business maze, ever again. Get the Continuous Communication route finder for your business, right here

        

Let's spin the marketing dough wheel again (pointer 5)

It's rude to point.

But is it? 

In the game we're playing here, it's definitely not rude to point.

That's because wherever on the strategy chart the marketing dough wheel pointer points its pointy point on, you'll make a lot more money because of it.

So, let's SPIN!

And the pointer has decided to land on... 

DATABASE SEGMENTATION!

Now if you've decided your mind is going to switch off here because you think this is the most boring of all things you can talk about...

Then realise this:

MOST Owners and Entrepreneurs would rather spend and invest a ton of money in bringing new customers in, and because of that, neglect the cashflow river that's sitting right under their idle noses. 

What that means is when you look at your database, you'll find a number of assets. 

For example: 

Customers who've bought

Customers who haven't bought in the last 30 to 90 days

Enquirers who have not been converted into buyers

Customers who have refunded

You'll also find, depending on how up to date your customer database technology and sophistication is, you'll be able to segment your customers into tight subsections.

For example:

Age

Sex

Geography

Education

Okay so what do you now do with all this valuable insight and information you'll gain by taking the small amount if time to start slicing and dicing your list into the various categories and sub categories?

You start making a whole lot more money, that's what'll happen.

Because now you can start creating simple campaigns to the different segments and categories of people on your list.

And remember this;

There's no profitable joy in sending out a one size fits all, campaign or promotional communication.

Unless of course you deliberately want to annoy and hassle your customers into receiving promos and communications that just aren't a right fit for them. 

You're much better served, as your customers and prospects will be, to send them specific versions of communications to be just for them.

No fun receiving a communication dealing with health issues for people over 70, if you're 40 and have zero health issue whatsoever.

No fun receiving a communication if you've not made a purchase from a company or business in the past, yet their communications refer to you as a loyal and valuable client of theirs. Makes no sense if you've a special offer to those who've previously bought your highest price offering to date, to then sell them the exact same offer again.

No sense in any of that whatsoever.

And it only makes no sense because there's no dedicated enough or committed enough in the business to seriously want to treat their customer database and spending records as the most important piece of intel in the businesses' vaults. 

Because that's what they are.

And if you've admittedly not been a dedicated bloodhound of your own business (or your client's business) to date, where you've not taken it upon yourself to want to mercilessly dig into every single possible permutation or combination of the various lists and sub-lists that exist in your business, then why not change that habit starting right now, in this present moment?

Because when you do, watch the money gates open. 

And also... watch the almost theatrical way how your straining pupils pop out of your eye sockets because of what you're now able encounter from a money and cashflow perspective, something that you couldn't, previously.  

DATABASE SEGMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION VERSIONING ARE THE ULTIMATE ON-GOING, TWIN-POWER MONEY MAKER's for your Business. 

But... only if you choose to fall in love with it all and where you consciously and deliberately choose to become a serious student of your own business.

You can work just this strategy on the marketing wheel and let it serve you profitably, for years to come. You don't need to complexify things and have zillions of ideas and strategies all going off at the same time... only to realise that you're not really capitalising on any of them to any great depth or degree.  

However...

If you're a proper thinking marketing person, you'll not just rest with the database segmentation strategy for you to make it rain in your business; you want more so you can make more and then do more good with the more you make. 

So sit tight, because the next marketing wheel spin appointment is on its way.   

Feel your business communications and emails are lacking that spark, that punch, that unforgettable personality and originality you secretly crave for? Don't want your business to be a plain vanilla business anymore? Well, fret no more. Because the way to get that Frank Sinatra entertainment factor fused into your communications, is only a short click away. CLICK ME HERE!   

(And I promise you, it's certainly not rude to point and click the click me here link :-)

  

Why Bother creating boring limp ideas and marketing?

The marketing madness and idea stupidity, continues.

Let's see why that is.

All thanks to a company called Bother. 

(And the name itself 'Bother', is, as you'll soon see, rather dim and unoriginal on the choice and selection scale.)

BOTHER.

In essence, their angle is...

We bother (about taking care of the shopping) so you don't have to.

And what was the genesis of the thinking here?

Of many being bound together by an unrelenting burning, yet basic irritation of running out of this and that around the home, so wanted some solution to that. 

Is that a burning marketplace desire for a problem that needs solving that hasn't already been solved? 

There's a business with 57 people.

There's mention on the website of the business being backed and supported by a few well known businesses. 

To what capacity, that's not clear. 

Whatever proportion has been invested by the owners piling their own money into the business, or if it's loan or VC backed, there could be a long waiting game in the money being returned, based on the communication and marketing evidence. 

Whatever the case, there's a lot that needs re inventing and recreating. 

Let's touch on a few ideas.   

Take the promotional flyer to do with their business that's popped through the letter box today. 

What's the opening thrust here?

"£15 off your first shop"

Hmmm...

Anything to do with the rise in the cost of living? 

Don't know. There's nothing on the flyer to say that. (Tis a good idea to address the current conversation going on in the minds of one's audience) 

And below that money off your first shop...

There's an image of a list of products.

And... that's it.

Nothing more. 

No compelling story.

No personality.

No reason why. 

So let's see what's on the other side of this promotional piece.  

Mercy me... A headline!

Wow!

Let's dig in.  

"Finally, an eco-friendly way to shop that doesn't cost the earth" 

Now how many times have we heard a version of that cost saving thrust? Nothing new or exciting.  

And below that, a Here's how this works sequence of images along with some copy. 

Nothing mind blowing about it.

Nothing earth wobbling or amazing.

Nothing immediate or instant to have you get your mind racing or to want to make you whip out your money to be part of it.  

How could they apply some proper intelligence to the flyer without resorting to no thinking?  

There are multiple angles to choose from.

One angle is to take a leaf out of David Ogilvy's masterpiece book on ideas and advertising.  

Cleverly named... OGILVY on ADVERTISING! 

Now there are many ideas and angles you can be inspired by in that masterpiece book, if you care to look.   

One such inspiration is an ad to promote Guinness beer.   

And, it was masterfully done via promoting a guide to oysters. 

More specifically...

GUINNESS GUIDE TO OYSTERS!   

 

Now what's that got to do with anything?

Well, by educating and informing people about the various kinds and types of oysters, and by positioning Guinness as the Beer of choice, the connection between the two made people buy more quantities of both beer (Guinness) and oysters!

Oh, and here's what's said about the direct connection between beer and oysters:

Oysters and beer are a remarkable pair. The brine from the oyster not only complements and highlights aspects of the beer, it's washed clean by the beer's crisp carbonation, inviting you to eat another oyster (and another oyster and another oyster and…)      

So how can we transition the idea and employ something similar to Bother and their offering?  

Bother's Guide to The Most Run Out of Popular Products at Home

And then...

Listing 9 or 12 popular products, giving each one a diagram and a real life story and reasons why they run out quickly, etc. And, the different target groups of users can be represented in each different 'square or block'. 

That's not the only idea.

It's an angle.

And it's way better than the £15 off your first order version on the flyer.   

It's informative.

It's entertaining.

It's engaging.

It has personality.

It'll have some people who'll keep that flyer up on the fridge where they can see it.   

Clever, creative, intelligent marketing thinking always outperforms lazy thinking marketers and owners.    

Spin the marketing wheel and bank the dough (pointer 4)

It's that glorious time again.

Where we spin the magnifico marketing wheel and see where the pointer, points. 

And before we get into it, let me just straddle the soap box here and poke my pointy nose into things for a second to say that if you dismiss what you're reading here regarding these strategies, or you nod your head in happy agreement but you do nothing with what you're eyeballing, then it's as bad as being able to read, but not read, being able to walk, but not walk, being able to help, but not help, being able to drive, but not drive, being able to love, but not love. End of lesson.

And so the pointy pointer lands on....  

Raising Prices! 

I can hear the collective tension rise up inside the throats of many.

Here's what you probably know: 

Your prices are already way too low (on some of your products and services).

Now it's not a good idea to raise prices for the sake of raising prices. 

(If you're a low cost provider and your desired goal and mission is to be the lowest priced vendor, supplier, business or product provider in your marketplace, then this raising prices strategy will have nothing to do with you at all. Skip on by and enjoy the rest of your day) 

In raising prices... 

You've got to give reasons why. 

You've got to add additional value. 

You've got to improve the quality of your service or product. 

You've got to ensure the entire A-Z customer buying and post buying process and standards, are all raised and bettered.

What you can't do when raising prices is to trance someone into buying from you or hammer them over the head with some kind of sob story.

They'll sniff that a mile away. 

And it won't truly resonate or connect.

And yet, there are providers and services all over the place who are high priced yet providing little or additional extra value than their closest competitor.

They'll soon be rumbled as their pricing won't match the quality of their services.  

Of course, if your business has a personality and has a loyal rabid following for what it is you sell and promote, then raising prices won't be nearly as troubling.

In fact, when you go even higher in your prices with new product and service offerings, there'll be a certain percentage of your customer base who'll devour and lap it up.  

And they'll do that because they've already been convinced and have bought into who you are and what your products and services stand for in their lives.     

Test it out. Raise dem prices!

There are 3 other strategies on the marketing wheel that deliciously blend and merge into the raising prices one, and you'll get to see what they are over the coming days.

Spin the marketing wheel and bank the dough (pointer 3)

Let's get into spinning that marketing wheel and see where the pointer, points.

And by the way, there's 12 money dough strategies on the marketing wheel I've got and created. I could increase it to 20 or 30 if I wanted to. 

(And for certain forensic microscopic marketing and business digging I do, I bring those beauties out when I need to.)  

So let's SPIN!

Where's it landed today?

Let's see - it's landed on continuity (or read it as membership, or subscription, or recurring revenue.) 

Whassattt?

It's where you get get paid typically on a continuing monthly basis for providing a monthly service.

Whether that monthly amount is for a newsletter, or access to a private member’s area filled with desirable content, or a subscription to a version of a ‘book of the month’ type offering, or monthly access to a new product offering, or monthly coaching or mentoring, or any other hybrid version of the above.

Uh oh. I can hear more than a few Owners piping up... 

"Oh, but I'm not in a business that can do that! How could I benefit? This is all a waste of time for me. I don't have bags of spare money to do what you're saying. I can't I can't, I can't!"    

Well, the good news is almost ALL kinds, types and sizes of businesses, no matter WHAT they sell and promote, can have a continuity based element baked into their businesses.

Examples? Demonstration? Evidence? Proof?

Good shout! Wouldn't have it any other way. And as your eyeballs are dancing over the businesses below, don't dismiss your business from adopting, adapting and applying the ideas or strategies you've just taken in, to your business.   

A pizza, take away or other food based business: Create a monthly membership where each month customers get a £65 value subscription for only £40 to use throughout the month. If they use up their £65 worth of food currency tokens or vouchers within a few days or weeks, they can buy add-on vouchers for the remaining days in the month.

A jewellery or any other retail store: a special VIP membership can be created that allows current and new customers to receive a monthly value amount that can be redeemed against any item of jewellery, with the customer paying the difference in value if the voucher amount is exceeded. They can also receive special VIP buying privileges, never seen before offerings, entry to special invitation events.

A car service centre: A programme can be created where there are 3 levels of service options, with customers paying a monthly membership fee for servicing, receiving valuable tips via video or via a membership portal, even offering special deals on new cars where the service centre forms joint venture partnerships with local car dealers.

A pet grooming service: creating a monthly membership option where customers are eligible to bring their pets in for grooming and cleaning services at a favourable rate each month, with added on options and discounts on food and ancillary products and services provided by other vendors, with the pet grooming service taking a commission fee for engineering the various vendor relationships.

An Architect – an architect can team up with an interior designer, a house renovator, a landscaper, and other associated vendors, package the whole thing together as a unique service, and charge clients a monthly fee for access to the experts by way of advice and consulting, with some membership clients eventually being converted into large paying projects.   

The main thing here to note is when you create a continuity based element to your business, you'll have created an equity based system that pays you like clockwork, month in month out.

Nothing like having Continuity to put you into the Equity based business.

Because that's what'll give you INCOME FOR LIFE stability, security and certainty.

And when you compound out that actual recurring revenue value amounts, and put it on paper so you can gawp at the numbers you see before you (I don't actually advise it as it'll give you a stonking fat migraine when you see all the years of money that you've watched sail down the plug hole) you'll find it might just smack you into taking proper action so you can have a Continuity based revenue stream working for you in your business.

Time to put the money-making Marketing Wheel away for now. 

It'll come out again tomorrow. Get your notepad and pen ready. 

  

Your emails making it rain for you? Subscribers and customers loving your campaigns and launches? If not, go here to get a hold of the kind of emails and strategic thinking that'll thump your heart happy.       

         

Spin the Strategic marketing wheel and bank the dough (pointer 2)

It's spin the marketing wheel time.

And, the lucky ducky strategy the pointer plops on just now, is...

Continuous Communications.

Tada! 

Yawn.

Well guess what?

Yawny and unsexy it might seem, yet... when you mail more, when you're in constant communication, when you're connected to your subscribers and customers...you'll get more eyeballs on your communications.

And that generally means...

You'll make more dough.

But don't count your money yet because I said it generally means you make more dough.  

It's this generally word I want to poke into a little more.

Because here's what WON'T bring in the dough for you when it comes to your communications: (And that's irrespective if you send one communication a day, a week, a month) 

• Making the whole communication as dry as toast to read. (there's zero personality being shown) 
• Not being at all entertaining. (i.e. being a dull, drab bore in print)
• Not having a different point of view to all others in your marketplace. (aka -- being a samey samey)
• Only selling, selling, selling and having nothing else of value to share or communicate. (We all like to buy, but not when a torrent of emails are only (and desperately) focussed on getting our money) 
• Making your offers as limp, unenergetic and uninviting as a pooped out marathon runner who hasn't brushed their teeth for days, yet wants to join your banging, late night house party.
• Having little to zero creative inventiveness and story telling prowess, thus making your communications sound and read almost exactly the same... each and every time. 

So if you're going to communicate, and regularly, do it in a way that makes it a joyful delight for your recipient. 

To tie this all together:

There's a creeping separateness that naturally happens when you stay out of the communication loop for too long.

And we all know that. 

In personal life and, in business.

And in business... 

The money numbers don't lie.

You don't want to let that lack of continuous communication happen, especially now that you have a little list to work from to fix things, where you simply... do the OPPOSITE.     

Let's spin the marketing wheel again tomorrow and see where the marketing dough making pointer, lands next.    

    

Want a regular dose of the kind of emails that'll do Taj Mahal wonders for your business?
Go Here. 

Spin The Strategic Marketing Wheel & Bank The Dough - (pointer 1)

 Let me destress your already filled-to-the-top marketing brain.

How?

By having you spin the following marketing wheel and see where the pointer lands for you.

HINT:

Wherever it falls, you're in the money.

Why?

Because EACH of the 12 is a proven tasty dish that'll make you happy and profitable.

But of course, only if you take the gift you get, and then apply it to your business, or to your client's business. 

We'll do one a day for the next 12.

So.

Let's SPIN.

So where do we land?

Customer reactivation.

What's that? 

It's looking at those customers of yours who haven't bought in a while (could be 6 months, a year, longer) and then, sending them a communication that has them be appreciated, acknowledged and cared for. 

But we're not done yet.

Inside that communication, you invite them to take advantage of a special gift or offer. 

That could be a money off voucher, a special intro price to a new item or service, a buy one get one free, a no cost consultation, a get this with that, a come in or click here for a special surprise gift.

Whatever you do, choose something. 

And not only that, have it be something of delight and advantage to those portion of your customers who have fallen off the buying and communication merry go round with you.

Because guess what?

When you reactivate a customer to get back into the buying groove with you, not only will you make that first come-back transaction something your customer will love, but you'll start to get them into a frequent buying pattern with you.

And that means...

... you'll increase their lifetime value with you

... you'll increase their referral value with you

... you'll have gained a converted ambassador for what it is you sell and market. 

The even better news about that?

Multiply out that referral and residual value by the number of inactive past customers you can now reactivate, and you'll find that you've been squatting like a mother hen on a fat number of golden egg assets. Assets that you can now mine and mint, upwards and outwards.

Golden egg news alert! 

You do not need to be a marketing wizard to put the above into action for your business!

You do however, need to know who you're communicating to, what you're going to be offering them, when you're going to be doing it, what your follow up process is going to be to those who reply and respond. 

Tune in again tomorrow. 

The money making marketing wheel is going to be spun again.   

FREE BOOK SHOWS YOU HOW TO WRITE ENTERTAINING EMAILS THAT GET OPENED, READ AND BOUGHT FROM  

                                                                                raja . hireker @ gmail . com 
                                                                        Marketing Consulting / Copywriting 

     

  

           

 

   

Email Marketing Q & A (Part 2 )

Q: Why do you think Email has been given a back seat recently as a marketing vehicle...is it because of social media marketing being so prominent?

RH:My take on it is that email, the proper use of it, will be here to stay as long as the internet is here and so that’ll be like, forever. Social media marketing has its merits, though all in good measure. 

It seems like whenever the next new shiniest marketing tool comes online, there’s this buffalo stampede that can be heard for miles, with everyone who has been sold into the idea and concept, touting it like it’s their online saviour. 

Which of course is just plain old hype and I suppose a business owner has to go through the experience to see that social media marketing isn’t as it’s cracked up and promoted to be. 

Yes, there are wonderful uses for it all but tell me a business that’s built its business solely on social media marketing and then you’ll have me as being an eager listener.

And the dirty little secret is that the big guns, you know, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Ebay… they’re using offline direct mail to grow their businesses.

Gasp. Who’d have thought that, right? 

I mean, shouldn’t they be using just social media marketing as they’re purely online businesses? Now you know. Okay, now, social media marketing used in conjunction with email, can be a powerful combination. 

But give me an either/or choice and I’ll pick email as a method of building a deep strong relationship with customers, as well as making regular sales like clockwork, I’ll take email, any day of the week, month or year. 

Now those who spurn email and its inherent uses and power, simply do not know how to use it effectively. 

And so what happens as a consequence? 

They bad mouth the media, based on their erroneous assumptions, based on false information, based on simply not taking the time and investing energy and flop sweat to doing it right. 

And let’s just take a look at this; email is just another format to communicate. 

Nothing more. It’s not the holy-grail. Neither is facebook or twitter or any other social media marketing platform. They’re all communication vehicles, just like the fax, the mobile phone, tv, video, letters in the post. 

And with all of those media platform or tools or vehicles, whatever I’ve just mentioned, if you don’t know how to effectively communicate using whatever media, you’re not doing as well as you thought.

And you can’t blame the media platform because if someone else is being successful at using it then it’s you, me, whoever is the mind behind the use of the communication tool in question; we’re the problem and not the media platform! 

If someone else is successful at it, and we’re not; we’ve screwed it up along the line, somewhere.